A First Book of Daily Readings

by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (selected by Frank Cumbers)

Mighty through God!

Let us realize that we can be orthodox but yet dead. Let us realize that we can be highly intellectual and theological and be useless. Let us realize that even our proclamation of this Word in our own strength and power is finally null and void.

"Mighty through God!" Through the power of God! ... If ever a man could have used his brain, his reason, his logic, and relied upon them, it was [Paul]. But he didn't.

The power and the authority and the demonstration were to be "of God." ... Listen to him again in 1 Corinthians 4:2; he says, "... the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." It is the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, and apart from this we can do nothing....

At the beginning of the eighteenth century certain orthodox men could see the position falling away; and they said, what can we do to safeguard the Truth? They decided to set up what are called The Boyle Lectures; ... they were designed to defend the Christian Faith.

And a great bishop ... wrote a book, Bishop Butler'sAnalogy. He was going to defend the Christian Faith. And another man called Paley did much the same thing. But they were not what saved the situation, good as they were. What saved the situation? ...

It was the Holy Ghost coming upon George Whitefield at his ordination. It was John Wesley's heart being "strangely warmed" in Aldersgate Street on May 24, 1738. It was the outpouring of the Spirit of God. It was the power!

"Mighty through God!" For here is the very power that had floored, and humbled, and convinced the Apostle Paul himself....

He had to be knocked down; he had to be humbled; he had to be floored.... The same happened to the great St. Augustine, the same to Luther, the same to Calvin, the same to Blaise Pascal. It is the same thing with all of them with their giant intellects, and learning, and understanding. And it is as true tonight as it has ever been throughout the running centuries.